Flood control system



May 29, 1956 Filed Jan. 19, 1955 E. F. HOWE FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM 2Sheets-Sheet l May 29, 1956 E. F. HOWE 2,747,678

FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent Office 2,747,678 Patented May 29, 1956 FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM ElraF. Howe, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 19, 1953, Serial No. 332,054

1 Claim. Cl. 182-1) This invention relates to a flood control system andmore particularly to a flood control system readily connectable to abasement sewer line.

It is the general object of this invention to produce a new and improvedflood control system.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision of a floodcontrol system readilyconnectable to a basement sewer pipe line so as toprovide positive means for preventing flooding of the basement.

During flood conditions in a sewer main, sewage is apt to back up into abasement sewer pipe to cause flooding of the premises. To prevent suchbacking up of sewage it has been the practice to install a backwatervalve which closes upon the existence of flood conditions in the sewermain and thus prevents the sewer from backing up into the basement. Ifthe plumbing facilities of the house or building are not used during thetime that the backwater valve is closed, no flooding problem exists.However, if it is desirable to continue to use the plumbing facilities,such as thetoilet, sinks, etc., during such times as the backwater valvemay be closed, it is clear that flood danger arises inasmuch as thebasement sewer line or pipe does not possess suflicient capacityeffectively to store all waste liquid which may be directed thereintowhile the backwater valve remains closed.

Accordingly it is another feature of the invention to provide means fortaking care of the waste liquid from the house or building during suchtimes as the backwater valve may be closed eifectively to preventflooding of the basement with such waste water. One feature of thepresent invention includes a pump arranged to have its intake connectedto the basement sewer line upstream of the backwater valve and itsdischarge connected to the line downstream of the valve together withmeans for automatically starting the pump upon the threat of floodconditions in the basement sewer line upstream of the valve, with thepump serving to pump waste liquid from the house or building around thevalve and into the sewer line below the valve.

Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of a substantiallycomplete flood control system for a basement sewer line which includesin combination a backwater valve for closing the line in the event floodconditions occur in the sewer main together with a pump of the typepreviously described for handling waste liquid from the house orbuilding and pumping the same around the backwater valve to prevent suchwaste liquid from flooding the basement of the premises.

One of the principal features of the present invention is the provisionof flood control apparatus of the type previously described which mayreadily be connected to an existing basement sewer line. A corollaryfeature is the manner in which the motor for the pump and the floatoperated switch for energizing the motor are mounted upon an extendedhousing so as to position the parts above the floor of the basement forready accessibility when the system has been installed in conjunctionwith an existing sewer pipe, it being understood that such sewer 2.pipes are normally laid below the floor of the basement.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be readilyapparent from the following description and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing. apparatus embodying the inventionconnected toan existing sewer pipe;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view along line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section. taken along line 44 of Fig. 1.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principlesof the invention and is not intendedto limit the invention to theembodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed outin the appended claim.

As previously noted, the apparatus of the present invention isparticularly adapted to be attached to an existing basement sewer linesuch as the line 10. As shown in Fig. 1, flow from the house or buildingto the main sewer line is from right to left through the pipe 10, and abackwater valve 11 may be installed in the line in order to preventsewage from backing up into the pipe in the event flooding conditionsoccur in the main sewer. The backwater valve 1.1 may take many formssuch as the type shown in my copending application, Serial No. 310,181,filed September 18, 1952, now Patent 2,675,023, with the valvecomprising a member normally gently biased to closed position by aweight system 12, with the valve being easily swung to open position inthe direction of flow from the basement to the sewer by the flow ofliquid from the house or building and being firmly seated against itsseat when forced in the opposite direction by sewage backing up from thestreet sewer. It will be noted that the backwater valve 11 is providedwith end collar portions 13 and 14 proportioned to receive the adjacentsections of the sewer pipe 10 so that the same may readily be installedsimply by removing a section or two of the basement sewer and replacingthe removed sections with the flap Valve assembly.

To install the booster pump for by-passing house waste liquid around theflap valve there may be installed in place of an additionally removedsection of the sewer pipe at T section generally designated 15comprising a cross portion 16 connected to a leg portion 17 of the Tsection, with the leg portion including a section 18 pro vided with atop closure 19 from which upstands a hollow tubular member 20. Themember 20 houses a float rod 21 carrying a float 22 at its lower end andconnected at its upper end to a float rod operated switch 23. The column20 is preferably made sufficiently long so as to position the switch 23above the floor level 24 of the basement.

The leg portion 17 terminates in a pump housing 25 in which is rotatablymounted a shaft 26 carrying a plurality of disintegrator blades 27within a disintegrator chamber 28. Communication between the leg portion17 and the chamber 28 is through a suitable opening 29 in the side ofthe housing provided with a filter screen 3i). The filter screen maycomprise a plurality of horizontal spaced apart rods and thedisintegrator blades may have portions which, during rotation of theshaft 26, enter the spaces between the rods so as to disintegrate solidmate rial resting thereagainst.

Located within the lower portion of the chamber 28 is a flow guidehousing 31 directing flow within the chamher into the intake 32 of acentrifugal pump 33 secured to the lower end of the shaft 26.Communicating with 3. the periphery of the chamber in which thecentrifugal pump 33 is located is a pump discharge 34 which is connectedto a suitable pipe 35 which discharges into the backwater valve housing11 downstream of the valve therein.

The pump shaft 26 extends up through a second tubular column 38 and isconnected at its upper end to an electric motor 30. To prevent whip inthe shaft 26, the same is supported intermediate its ends in a bearing40.

Should flooding conditions occur in the street sewer and cause thebacking up of liquid into the basement sewer line, the backwater valve11. is closed and thus eflectively blocks such sewage from flooding thebasement. In the event the plumbing facilities of the house aresubsequently used, the waste liquid discharged therefrom cannot pass thevalve 11 and hence accumulates in the sewer line 10 and in the legportion 17 of the T. Such accumulation of liquid in the leg portioncauses the float 22 to rise, energizing the switch 23. The switch isconnected by suitable electric wiring 41 to the electric motor to startthe same, thus to pump the liquid from within the leg portion 17 andsewer pipe 10 around the backwater valve and into the section of thesewer line downstream of the valve.

Because the switch 23 and motor 39 are located above the floor level ofthe basement, they may easily be cleaned and inspected and may, onoccasion, he test operated through means of a manual switch (not shown)forming a part of the switch member 23. Thus the motor can beperiodically tested should the occasion require.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description that theflood control system described can readily be connected to an existingsewer line simply by removing a few sections of the preexisting line andreplacing the removed sections with the T section 16 and, if a backwatervalve is not already installed, with the backwater valve 11 and itscasing. When so installed a complete flood control system is providedwhich prevents flooding of the basement due either to the backing up ofwaste liquid from the street sewer or the accumulation of waste liquidfrom the house, building, or other establishment using the sewer line11.

I claim:

Basement flood control apparatus for use with a sewer pipe comprising,in combination, a backwater valve in the sewer pipe constructed to closeautomatically upon the existence of flood conditions in the sewer pipedownstream of the valve to block flow in either direction through saidpipe, a branching T section of pipe connected to the sewer pipe upstreamof the valve, a booster pump having an intake connected to the leg ofthe T section, a discharge pipe connecting the discharge of the pumpwith the sewer pipe downstream of the valve, a float in said leg of theT section and movable in response to the existence of flood conditionsin said leg, a housing upstanding from the pump to terminate above thefloor of the basement, an electric motor on the top of the housing, adrive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing connecting the motor to thepump, a second housing upstanding from the leg of said section above thefloat to terminate above the floor of the basement, a switch assembly onthe top of the second housing, a rod in said second housing connectingthe switch assembly to the float, and means connecting the switchassembly to the motor to energize the same upon movement of the float.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS757,169 Yeomans Apr. 12, 1904 2,081,298 Hardacker May 25, 1937 2,421,066Howe May 27, 1947 2,549,204 Kaddatz Apr. 17, 1951 2,569,102 Howe Sept.25, 1951

